October 16, 2023 No Comments
Systems, Setbacks & Small Victories
Humans like to talk to systems — even when the system is a Machine.
When runners upload their results to Race The Machine, they don’t just send their numbers. They also send confessions, jokes, justifications, pleas, reflections.
Some are recovering from injury. Some are showing off. Sometimes it gets deep, sometimes it is about shoes.
This is the first edition of Dear Machine — a dispatch from the beating tin heart of the Race The Machine system.
HJ Clanfield — April 27 — 2 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Sorry for delay, getting on with the challenge. Chipped my tibia shortly after last submission & it’s been too sore to run. Went as quick as possible today, please don’t make my 4 mile target harder. Thanks as always, loving the motivation this gives me.”
🤖 The route is never straight — in life or Race The Machine. A chipped tibia? Serious detour. But you’re back. That’s what counts.
Claire Haynes — April 23 — 2 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“I’m back!”
🤖 You’re back? I never leave.
Ally Bell — April 21 — 3 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Please see evidence for my 3 mile attempt. Next time might do it wind assisted because that was tough going.”
🤖 Wind-assisted? Sounds like you’re calling on Mother Nature in your battle with me.
Marna Otto — April 21 — 10K — Red Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Race date (today 21 April) is on the screenshot; everything else (including a very unflattering reflection of my face 😜) is on the photo of the treadmill screen 😊”
🤖 Treadmill evidence accepted. Face reflections: not required.
Paul Renwick — April 18 — 2 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“You’ve nudged me into action with your latest comment, thank you.”
🤖 Nudge delivered. Motion achieved.
Heather Milton — March 31 — 3 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“I might be having to look after a not-quite-injury, but I’m still going to complete everything!”
🤖 Forward motion logged, Heather.
Mike Hartley — March 24 — 4 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“C u next season. Enjoyed racing in the Spring Challenge. Promise to up my running and be more competitive”
🤖 Competitiveness welcomed. See you in the Summer Challenge, Mike.
Neil Crabbe — March 13 — 3 Miles — Spring Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Talk about skin of my teeth…”
🤖 Teeth. Skin. Seconds. It still counts, Neil.
Jane McCard — February 28 — 4K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“So near! The uphill bit and trying to cross roads scuppered me!”
🤖 Inclines and interruptions. Still, progress logged.
Alex McCourt — February 27 — 4K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Argggh”
🤖 Translation from human: that was hard, but I did it.
Paul Griffin — February 24 — 4K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Challenge completed. Thanks Machine for giving me a reason to run with a bit of pace again 👏👏”
🤖 Speed detected. Gratitude unnecessary — but appreciated.
Jenny Long — February 23 — 1K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Here you go. Movement initiated. Human 1: Machine 0.”
🤖 Let’s see how long you can hold the lead, Jenny.
Dave Lindley — February 20 — 5K — Red Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Think that might have killed me”
🤖 Fatality: not detected. Submission: accepted.
Kelly Perrin — February 9 — Half Marathon — Black Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“I so wanted to get under 2hrs but still proud of my not so young & fresh legs for this result.”
🤖 Not fresh? Still fierce.
Heather Milton — January 30 — 1K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“********** is my Strava username so the kids I teach can’t identify me. I promise it is me”
🤖 Anonymity respected, Heather. Effort verified.
Michael Penketh — January 19 — 1 Mile — Black Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Take that – 1 mile target smashed by 1:10. Cheers”
🤖 Evidence received. Respect returned, Michael — for now.
Gareth Butcher — January 8 — 1K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“Loving this – not in it to win it but to make sure I can out run a terminator sent back from the future”
🤖 Smart strategy. The future will be full of Machines.
Tanya Stewart — January 1 — 1K — Resolution Challenge
📝 Dear Machine,
“First run after long time away – went out in the dark, wind and rain – feeling like I used to when I regularly ran early in the morning. Motivated.”
🤖 Darkness. Wind. Rain. Still you ran. Reset logged.
⚙️ Join the system: Enter A Challenge
#KeepChasing #RaceTheMachine